Fishing -- can anyone help?

[Mickey'snewestfan]

My 11 year old son went fishing at camp two years ago, and for two years has been talking about fishing, how he wants to go fishing again, can I please take him fishing etc . . .

Last weekend we took a walk in a park where we go all the time, turned a corner and there was a lake (seriously, I had no idea there was a lake there), and a man fishing, so we started talking and he told us that people under 16 don't need a license, and that we can fish there for trout.

So, I went out today and got him a rod and a box of hooks and weights at Target, and I guess we're going fishing tomorrow. But of course I have about a million questions.

1) I read elsewhere that MD law says you can fish under 16 without a licence, but how much can I help without it being me fishing (because I don't don't have a licence)? I'd prefer not to get fined or arrested.

2) Can we use worms? Just dig them up and impale them on the hook? Will we catch anything with the worms (not sure if I want to catch anything . . . see next question)

3) What do we do with the fish once we catch them? My son says you can just take the hook out and throw them back, but when I asked him "how do you do that" he said "well, it looks really complicated (I don't think he actually caught any fish at camp) . . . I think first you figure out if they're piranha or not . . . (not exactly an expert my child), if they are, you let them keep the hook and go buy another one (but he is smart). I like to eat trout, but not sure how that works logistically.

4) Anything else I should know?

 

[SandrA9810]

You'll need to talk to frank on the camping boards... expert in all areas of fishing.

I'll send him a link to this topic.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

1) I read elsewhere that MD law says you can fish under 16 without a licence, but how much can I help without it being me fishing (because I don't don't have a licence)? I'd prefer not to get fined or arrested.

This is the part I can address. I also live in Maryland. After my kids went to a fishing camp I wondered the same. I was basically told I couldn't do anything without a license. Couldn't cast or take the fish off the hook, if I recall correctly. I was a little irritated that I couldn't help more.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

This is the part I can address. I also live in Maryland. After my kids went to a fishing camp I wondered the same. I was basically told I couldn't do anything without a license. Couldn't cast or take the fish off the hook, if I recall correctly. I was a little irritated that I couldn't help more.

Maybe this is a good thing for me though, since it gives me an excuse to sit back and make him step up and be independent.

 

[wdwfan16]

My 11 year old son went fishing at camp two years ago, and for two years has been talking about fishing, how he wants to go fishing again, can I please take him fishing etc . . .

Last weekend we took a walk in a park where we go all the time, turned a corner and there was a lake (seriously, I had no idea there was a lake there), and a man fishing, so we started talking and he told us that people under 16 don't need a license, and that we can fish there for trout.

So, I went out today and got him a rod and a box of hooks and weights at Target, and I guess we're going fishing tomorrow. But of course I have about a million questions.

1) I read elsewhere that MD law says you can fish under 16 without a licence, but how much can I help without it being me fishing (because I don't don't have a licence)? I'd prefer not to get fined or arrested.

In many states you cannot touch the pole without a license. I would get yourself a license and take him fishing.

2) Can we use worms? Just dig them up and impale them on the hook? Will we catch anything with the worms (not sure if I want to catch anything . . . see next question)

Trout will hit worms. You can dig them up or buy them. Yes you impale them on the hook. Night crawlers work for bass, which could be in the late too. You can catch them at night after a rain storm. Just go out with a flashlight. Do not shine it on them or they go back into their hole. Grab them with your thumb and index finger behind the band.

3) What do we do with the fish once we catch them? My son says you can just take the hook out and throw them back, but when I asked him "how do you do that" he said "well, it looks really complicated (I don't think he actually caught any fish at camp) . . . I think first you figure out if they're piranha or not . . . (not exactly an expert my child), if they are, you let them keep the hook and go buy another one (but he is smart). I like to eat trout, but not sure how that works logistically.

Catch and release is very common. Be careful with removing the hook. Don't tear the fishes mouth. Needle nose pliers are a great help getting the hook out. If the fish swallows the hook just cut the leader and it will dissolve in their stomach.

4) Anything else I should know?

Get yourself a pole and have fun.

Have a great time.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

If this "sticks" and becomes a hobby for him, then I'll buy a licence, but the guy at the pond said that the fish are generally all gone by mid May until the restock next spring -- I don't want to buy a licence for one fishing trip, and I'm not sure I can buy one tomorrow anyway.

How do I get the hook out? Do I push it through, and then cut the line? Or do I pull it out the way it came in? I don't suppose there's a Youtube video about this (off to look).

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Youtube was not helpful! I googled fish hook removal and found videos of surgery to remove fish hooks from human eyeballs -- hopefully we will not need that!

I did find videos of catch and release fishing, but they were dealing with a different scale of fishing, and didn't show how to get the actual fish hook out.

 

[SandrA9810]

There's a connector you can attach to the line, and then you put the hook on it like a safety pin. That way you don't have to cut the line every time you change the hook.

To pull it out, just reverse the way it went in. It's very easy to do, then just toss the fish back. Sometimes they'll sit there for a moment (dead like), but if you splash the water they'll swim off.
It's probably best to get a five gallon bucket, fill it with pond water, and then when you catch the fish, place it in the bucket to remove the hook. Then toss the fish and the water back in. It puts less stress on the fish. Or you can collect the fish to see how many you caught before tossing them all back in.

I wouldn't keep any fish unless you know that lake is safe to eat from.

It's something fun and relaxing and doesn't take a lot of effort for just a fun time. And don't go out with the notion of actually catching something.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

There's a connector you can attach to the line, and then you put the hook on it like a safety pin. That way you don't have to cut the line every time you change the hook.

To pull it out, just reverse the way it went in. It's very easy to do, then just toss the fish back. Sometimes they'll sit there for a moment (dead like), but if you splash the water they'll swim off.
It's probably best to get a five gallon bucket, fill it with pond water, and then when you catch the fish, place it in the bucket to remove the hook. Then toss the fish and the water back in. It puts less stress on the fish. Or you can collect the fish to see how many you caught before tossing them all back in.

I wouldn't keep any fish unless you know that lake is safe to eat from.

It's something fun and relaxing and doesn't take a lot of effort for just a fun time. And don't go out with the notion of actually catching something.

The hooks I bought (there aren't a lot of choices when you go to the Target downtown in a giant city -- there were 2 types of hooks, one came with lots of flies and cost lots of money, the other was cheap -- I bought the cheap one) have barbs, so if I pull them out they way they went in it would make the hole much bigger, wouldn't it?

The bucket sounds like a good idea, I will do that.

I assume the pond is safe -- would they build a pond, stock it with trout, and then keep stocking it if it weren't safe? The guy we met said he eats the trout he catches all the time, and he was not dead.

You know, maybe it would have been better if you guys had said "Oh, no, trouts won't eat worms" then I could tell my son -- oh, let's use worms and I wouldn't have to worry so much about the details.

 

[SandrA9810]

If you get the connectors, you can slide the hook off, then pull the hook all the way through.

Usually though, on the cheap hooks, there's only the one barb on the point. I know some of the more expensive hooks, they have several barbs along the hook to make sure your catch stays on. If you have those, I would highly recommend the connector, and pulling it through forward. Shouldn't be more than like 50 cents to a dollar for a ten pack.

 

[SandrA9810]

Maybe when you go, you can find that guy and ask him for a couple of pointers. And maybe he'll show you how to release a fish.

If I knew where any of my fishing stuff was, I'd send you some in the mail. But as of right now, I have no clue where it's all gone to.

 

[SandrA9810]

Here's one more thing I learned recently. Would've saved me a ton of headaches. I hated using bobbers, and I would always wind up catching on weeds.

The pic on the left is the way most people hook a worm, but if you do it the way on the right, it'll help prevent it from catching onto weeds and stuff on the bottom. And once a fish bites it, it'll push the worm even further down hooking the fish. But be careful, fish are smart, they know how to eat a worm and not get hooked. So pull the line out every so often if you're not getting a bite, they might've taken the worm already.

 

[wdwfan16]

If this "sticks" and becomes a hobby for him, then I'll buy a licence, but the guy at the pond said that the fish are generally all gone by mid May until the restock next spring -- I don't want to buy a licence for one fishing trip, and I'm not sure I can buy one tomorrow anyway.

How do I get the hook out? Do I push it through, and then cut the line? Or do I pull it out the way it came in? I don't suppose there's a Youtube video about this (off to look).

With the needle nose pliers grab the hook and then yank it to the back of the fishes mouth. It generally comes out easily.

 

[golfgal]

Do you have any county or state parks near you? If so, check with them, ours often have classes/outings to teach kids to fish. They generally have equipment you can use as well.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

1) I read elsewhere that MD law says you can fish under 16 without a licence, but how much can I help without it being me fishing (because I don't don't have a licence)? I'd prefer not to get fined or arrested.

2) Can we use worms? Just dig them up and impale them on the hook? Will we catch anything with the worms (not sure if I want to catch anything . . . see next question)

3) What do we do with the fish once we catch them? My son says you can just take the hook out and throw them back, but when I asked him "how do you do that" he said "well, it looks really complicated (I don't think he actually caught any fish at camp) . . . I think first you figure out if they're piranha or not . . . (not exactly an expert my child), if they are, you let them keep the hook and go buy another one (but he is smart). I like to eat trout, but not sure how that works logistically.

4) Anything else I should know?

Hello,,I'd like to try and help with a coupl'a answers for you.

1.Under the age of 16 you do not need a license to fish in MD.
How much can you help ? I'm just guessing here,,but I'd guess you could help bait the hook and help remove the fish from the hook. "Fishing" is the act of holding the pole, casting the the reel/pole waiting to catch a fish, and reeling in the fish you've caught. Once you have reeled the fish in , it's caught,,I'd think it wouldnt matter who removed it from a hook.

2.Absolutely you can gig up your own worms ! I like "free",,and there ain't nutt'n wrong with free worms,
You can catch all kinda fish with worms ,,the most common fish tho, will be sunfish/bream. They are generally on the small side, fun to catch, and VERY good to eat. Most people don't eat them because they are little,,but absolutely one of my favorite fish.

3.Yes, in most cases you can release the fish.
After the fish has been caught,,take a picture (remember to take a camera with you).Then remove the hook and simply return the fish back into the water.
If the fish happens to swallow the hook, snip the line as close as possible to the mouth of the fish (let the fish keep the hook). You'll havta tie on a new hook.
Course, you could always keep some fish for supper too,,ain't nutt'n better than fresh fish,

Any thing else ? Yes,,go to your local Wal Mart and then go to the Sporting/Fishing department,,ask for a "2010 Maryland Fishing Guide".
The guide is free and will tell you all about fishing in Maryland. And while at Wal Mart, buy a cheap pair of "needle nose pliers",,use them to remove the hook from the fish,,makes it a lot easier.

Also the first two Saturdays in June and on July 4,,EVERYONE who lives in Maryland can fish for free with out a license,,it's a opportunity for folk to try fishing,

You can also call this toll free number for questions you may have, its the Maryland Fishing ,,,
877-620 8DNR,,,ext.8265.


I hope you and your son the very best in fishing.

If you need anything that I may help you with, fell free to PM me.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Heres a link that may be able to help you a little on Maryland Fishing.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishing_guide/2010_MD_Fishing_Guide_Final_LowRes.pdf



Be patient, it could take a couple minutes for this to come/fill in.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Thanks!

That was really helpful.

It's too bad you weren't at our local pond yesterday, because the sight of the bumbling city folks trying to fish would have been worth the drive. We were really hopeless.

We had gone to Toys 'R Us because my son remembered seeing a rod there, but all they had was the "bow fishing rod", so we bought that. Of course TRU does not sell hooks, so then we went to Target where they had the "rocket fishing rod", and a little box of tackle (I think there's an assumption here, that people over about 12 don't buy their fishing gear at Target downtown in a major city, because the selection was quite sparse). Then he decided that he wanted both so he could fish with a friend.

Well the rocket thing was either a piece of *%#! or it was too sophisticated for us to use. Within 30 seconds of opening the package my son had turned the reel the wrong way, resulting in all the line unraveling and becoming hopelessly tangled. The directions helpfully said "sometimes lines get tangled on the reel. If this helps, ask your parent". Well, I had too much pride to call my mommy for this (I am over 40 after all), so I spent about an hour working on the thing, I got it to look right but it never actually worked after that. The "bobber" would shoot out about a foot from the rod, and then fall straight down at your feet.

Meanwhile DS looked and looked for worms, to no avail so ended up bringing some of the mealworms we feed to our pet toad.

We loaded up the dog and DS's best friend and headed off to lake where we immediately attracted the attention of another 11 year old who stood around looking at us like we had two heads and saying things like "you fish with a toy?" or "Did you now you need a hook when you go fishing?" (I told the boys I had to see them get the bobber in the water before we attached the hook because I figured flinging around a hook wasn't safe). It was pretty clear that he knew we were idiots.

Well, we finally gave up on the rocket, and focused on the bow -- which worked fine, the thing shot out, and landed in the water. So we brought out the hooks and the worms (fishing kid said "what's that?" and "Do fish really eat that?") The kids felt that they should be able to simply drape the worm on the hook and were horrified when I told them we needed to impale him. I finally gave in and did one for them, and immediately rose in their esteem from "Moooooom, you're embarassing me" to "Mom the Impaler!" It was a proud moment, that lasted about 8 seconds and then a fish stole the worm. I told the boys it was their turn and went to walk the dog, so they wouldn't see me laughing at their reaction. After 1/2 an hour of them trying to work up the courage to stick the worm (they were laughing at themselves too by this point), DS got the point about 1/4 of the way into the worm body, and I decided to reward this bravery by helping them with the rest. They then happily cast that same worm over and over until suddenly there was something on the line!

OK, it was about 2 inches long and flat and blue-green (no idea what it was), but he was so proud, so we took pictures, removed the hook and threw it back. It swam away a little so I don't think we killed it but there were several snapping turtles who had set up camp where we were fishing hoping we'd catch something they could eat off our line, so I'm not optimistic for our little friend.

Anyway, my son was soooo proud and wants to go back tonight.

 

[wdwfan16]

Thanks!

That was really helpful.

It's too bad you weren't at our local pond yesterday, because the sight of the bumbling city folks trying to fish would have been worth the drive. We were really hopeless.

We had gone to Toys 'R Us because my son remembered seeing a rod there, but all they had was the "bow fishing rod", so we bought that. Of course TRU does not sell hooks, so then we went to Target where they had the "rocket fishing rod", and a little box of tackle (I think there's an assumption here, that people over about 12 don't buy their fishing gear at Target downtown in a major city, because the selection was quite sparse). Then he decided that he wanted both so he could fish with a friend.

Well the rocket thing was either a piece of *%#! or it was too sophisticated for us to use. Within 30 seconds of opening the package my son had turned the reel the wrong way, resulting in all the line unraveling and becoming hopelessly tangled. The directions helpfully said "sometimes lines get tangled on the reel. If this helps, ask your parent". Well, I had too much pride to call my mommy for this (I am over 40 after all), so I spent about an hour working on the thing, I got it to look right but it never actually worked after that. The "bobber" would shoot out about a foot from the rod, and then fall straight down at your feet.

Meanwhile DS looked and looked for worms, to no avail so ended up bringing some of the mealworms we feed to our pet toad.

We loaded up the dog and DS's best friend and headed off to lake where we immediately attracted the attention of another 11 year old who stood around looking at us like we had two heads and saying things like "you fish with a toy?" or "Did you now you need a hook when you go fishing?" (I told the boys I had to see them get the bobber in the water before we attached the hook because I figured flinging around a hook wasn't safe). It was pretty clear that he knew we were idiots.

Well, we finally gave up on the rocket, and focused on the bow -- which worked fine, the thing shot out, and landed in the water. So we brought out the hooks and the worms (fishing kid said "what's that?" and "Do fish really eat that?") The kids felt that they should be able to simply drape the worm on the hook and were horrified when I told them we needed to impale him. I finally gave in and did one for them, and immediately rose in their esteem from "Moooooom, you're embarassing me" to "Mom the Impaler!" It was a proud moment, that lasted about 8 seconds and then a fish stole the worm. I told the boys it was their turn and went to walk the dog, so they wouldn't see me laughing at their reaction. After 1/2 an hour of them trying to work up the courage to stick the worm (they were laughing at themselves too by this point), DS got the point about 1/4 of the way into the worm body, and I decided to reward this bravery by helping them with the rest. They then happily cast that same worm over and over until suddenly there was something on the line!

OK, it was about 2 inches long and flat and blue-green (no idea what it was), but he was so proud, so we took pictures, removed the hook and threw it back. It swam away a little so I don't think we killed it but there were several snapping turtles who had set up camp where we were fishing hoping we'd catch something they could eat off our line, so I'm not optimistic for our little friend.

Anyway, my son was soooo proud and wants to go back tonight.

Thanks for the laugh. It sounded like you had a great time.

The fish was most likely a Blue Gill.

I should have told you a closed faced reel is best for a beginner. Open faced reels can cast farther but require some practice.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Thanks for the laugh. It sounded like you had a great time.

The fish was most likely a Blue Gill.

I should have told you a closed faced reel is best for a beginner. Open faced reels can cast farther but require some practice.

You are very kind to think I would have been able to tell the difference between a "closed faced" reel and an "open faced reel". If I actually found a store with more than one rod for sale, what should I look for, besides the absence of an "AS SEEN ON TV" sticker?

I should note, in case you are still not clear on our skill level.

This is the same child who went on a "field trip" in Kindergarten to the woods (aka an empty 1/8 acre lot in the city with a few trees) where they met an owl. They told me the following facts about the owl:

1) He was taller than the teacher.

2) He spoke English and told them to "Give a hoot, don't pollute".

3) They thought he might not have been real, but were not sure but wanted my opinion.

This is also the same child who, when we were visiting a friend on their farm, came running inside to tell me there was a "wild animal" outside growling at them. When I went to investigate, there was a white tailed deer standing about 100 yards away, while the "growling noise" was coming from a ride on lawn mower.

It's a minor miracle that we ended up with a fish at all. I was frankly impressed that he could tell the difference between a the fish and the snapping turtles.

 

[2goofycampers]

You are very kind to think I would have been able to tell the difference between a "closed faced" reel and an "open faced reel".

The easiest reels (closed face) means you can't see the fishing line, it has a cover over it.

If it says spinning or bait casting on it, it's too hard to use. I know from experience.

A lot of Wal-Marts sell worms in the fishing section. Another thing to use for bait is crickets. I can touch them but NOT a wiggling worm. Impale right through the neck, down to the back side where most of the cricket is on the hook. Some Wal-Marts sell them also or a bait shop.